32F temps hovering a degree or two either side of freezing this morning, warming above freezing today

Freezing from below? Ground temps still sub-freezing from recent cold….melt & drizzle can freeze on contact with sub-freezing pavement

Windshield Washer Fluid Alert: You’ll need it later today

Icy underfoot: Expect icy spots on anything untreated today where temps are at or below freezing…that includes your driveway & walkways. Remember, many injuries from ice come from falls…something we often forget in Minnesota.

Severe Outbreak:SPC has pasted a modearte risk for severe storms out for much of Arkansas today…with a slight risk all the way north to Illinois.

Image: NOAA/SPC

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

0409 AM CST TUE JAN 29 2013

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES…SOME STRONG…OVER PARTS OF THE OZARK REGION AND THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE

MUCH OF SOUTHERN…CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS

FAR NORTHERN LOUISIANA

FAR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI

FAR SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE

FAR NORTHEAST TEXAS

Springtime in January?

It feels like spring today in much of the Midwest with temps in teh 60s and even 70s. Chicago will set records today with highs in the 60s.

Kansas set all time record highs for Janaury Monday with mid 70s. Topeka, Kansas shattered the old record of 67F by a full 10 degrees with a high of 77F Monday!

RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS

1241 AM CST TUE JAN 29 2013

…RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET FOR MONDAY…JANUARY 28TH…AND FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY AT TOPEKA KS…

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 77 DEGREES WAS SET AT BILLARD AIRPORT IN TOPEKA KS MONDAY…JANUARY 28TH AT 331 PM. THIS SETS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE BOTH FOR THIS DAY AND FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR MONDAY…JANUARY 28TH WAS 67 DEGREES…SET IN 1917. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY WAS 74 DEGREES…FIRST SET ON JANUARY 2…1939 AND THEN TIED ON JANUARY 8…2003.

Minnesota’s Arctic relapse tomorrow:

Closer to home…we warm up above freezing later today…so any icy conditions should “improve” into a repeat of the sloppy mess we saw Monday. The metro will be on the edge of some light snow tonight as the next wave dumps snow in southeast Minnesota & Wisconsin.

Bitter winds return Wednesday as the next arctic front drops south. Temps will bottom out Thursday morning near -10F in the inner metro…to -15F in the suburbs. Northern Minnesota will again shiver through -25F to -35F…even -40F is possible again in a few spots.

Last of the sub-zero cold?

It’s probably too early to write off sub-zero cold just yet, but I think there’s a good chance Thursday will be our last shot at a sub-zero high temp in the metro this winter.

The longer range trends are encouraging. A milder…and wetter weather pattern looks to take hold by Sunday…and may last for the next few weeks.

There are signs we may move into a wetter…potentially snowier pattern in the next two weeks. Don’t bet the farm…but the GFS is hinting at a trend of snow around the weekend of February 9th & 10th.

It’s still too early to say if this has any weather “street cred”…but the trends are encouraging.

About the blogger

Paul Huttner is chief meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio. Huttner has worked TV and radio stations in Minneapolis, Tucson and Chicago. Paul is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul and holds a bachelor’s degree in geography with an emphasis in meteorology.